To commemorate 120 years of amicable Anglo-French relations, Buckingham Palace will be secured by French troops in a historic first, sanctioned by the Monarch.
French Gendarmerie Nationale forces, rehearsing at Wellington Barracks in London, will parade alongside soldiers from the British Army’s Household Division on Monday, April 8.
The forecourt of Buckingham Palace will witness 32 soldiers from the Republican Guard of the National Gendarmerie joining 40 Guardsmen from F Company Scots Guards for a joint parade.
The occasion marks the anniversary of the 1904 Entente Cordiale agreement between the United Kingdom and the French Republic, symbolizing historic cooperation and understanding between the two nations.
French President Macron will also attend a guard change in Paris on the same day, where soldiers from Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards will join counterparts from 1er Regiment de la Garde Republicaine to form the Presidential Guard outside the Elysee Palace.
Squadron Chief Guillaume Dewilde, leading the French detachment, expressed his pride in sharing this moment with British friends, emphasizing the strong bond between the two countries as akin to siblings.
